10BT202 GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOETHICS
Credit s: 4:0:0
Course Objective
Helps the student to understand and apply this knowledge in research to study the molecular mechanism of DNA and RNA synthesis and Protein synthesis, mutation, r-DNA technology.
Course Outcome
At the end of the semester the students would have learnt about r-DNA technology, genomic library, PCR and other applications of genetic engineering and also ethical issues relating to genetically manipulated products
Unit I Basics of Recombinant DNA Technology
Overview of recombinant DNA technology - Steps, Restriction and modifying enzymes.
Restriction mapping, design of linkers and adaptors. Applications- Recombinant cytokines and antibodies, vaccines, gene-therapy, stem cell therapy. Invitro fertilization, embryo transfer technology.
Unit II Vectors and Cloning
Characteristics of plasmid and phage vectors, prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression vectors.
Insect, Yeast and Mammalian vectors. Cloning in plants, transgenic and knockout animals.
Unit III Polymerase Chain Reaction & Construction of Libraries
Inverse PCR, Nested PCR, Taqman assay, Molecular beacons, RACE PCR, RAPD, Site Directed
Mutagenesis, methods of nucleic acid sequencing. Diagnostic importance of PCR. Construction of cDNA and genomic libraries. Screening of libraries with DNA probes and with antisera.
Unit IV Bioethics & IPR
Bioethics: The legal and socioeconomic impacts of Biotechnology. Intellectual property rights,
TRIPS, GATT, International conventions, Patents and methods application of patents, Legal implications, Biodiversity and farmers rights.
Unit V Biosafety and RDNA Guidelines
Biosafety regulation and National and international guidelines, r-DNA guidelines, Experimental protocol approvals, levels of containment. Definition of GMO & LMO; Roles of Institutional
Biosafety committee, RCGM, GEAC etc for GMO applications in food and agriculture;
Environmental release of GMOs- risk analysis and assessment.
Text Books:
1. Old RW, Primrose SB, "Principles Of Gene Manipulation, An Introduction To Genetic
Engineering ", Blackwell Science Publications, 2002.
2. Saleesha A.Stanely, “Bioethics”, Wisdom educational service, 2008
Reference books:
1. Ansubel FM, Brent R, Kingston RE, Moore DD, "Current Protocols In Molecular
Biology ", Greene Publishing Associates, NY, 1988.
2. Berger Sl, Kimmer AR, "Methods In Enzymology", Vol 152, Academic Press, 1987
3. Sambrook et al Vol. 1-3, “Molecular Cloning”